wisdom Archives - Page 16 of 23

Hornswoggle

April 24, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 16 comments

Some of us hornswoggle. Others of us get hornswoggled. I don’t know about you, but I belong in the second category.

I am gullible from head to toe. Just ask my sister. When we were children, she tricked me into washing dishes for her over and over again.

Can’t you see the fun oozing out of her little body? We still get good laughs from her tricks.

Hornswoggle means to trick or cheat.

Other words describe it as:

Deceive
Dupe
Hoax
Bamboozle
Swindle
Hoodwink

Many hornswoggle experiences are harmless.

No one gets hurt. Laughter usually follows.

Surprise parties
Jokes

Enjoy those times.

However, other experiences cause great harm.

Scams and other money schemes
Relationship deceit

Watch out for snakes in the grass who hurt others with their deceptive ways.

The greatest harm comes from religious deceit.

Religious wolves in sheep’s clothing pretend to be someone or something they are not. They look and sound harmless but lead people the wrong way.

We want to be sure we follow the right path in life. We also want to direct others to it. Follow Jesus, “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 NIV).

“[Jesus] replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them” (Luke 21:8 NIV).

Thanks to Jonna J. LeVan for the idea. Read how her son hornswoggled her on Tracy Crump’s Caregiver Corner.

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Up in the Air

April 17, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 13 comments

A friend’s car died during a recent out-of-town trip. It left her stranded on the side of the road. Her son took his car to her. The fate of her car was up in the air.

Could her car be fixed? Would she have to buy a new one? How much would either of those possibilities cost?

Up in the air means uncertain.

Something is not settled. It could change. The uncertainty may refer to such matters as:

Choice of school
Plans with friends
Work options
Food selections
Government decisions

Like clouds, anything up in the air floats around waiting for a decision.

The metaphor may also refer to flying birds.

Some decisions matter little.

The choices are six of one and half a dozen of the other. Fairly equal, either choice makes no great difference.

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate
A long walk or two short walks
A long book or two short books (or both)

Major decisions must be made.

Failure to decide is to decide to leave results in the hands of others. Riding the fence rarely works.

Choose well. Choose with eternal consequences in mind.

“How can men be wise? The only way to begin is by reverence for God. For growth in wisdom comes from obeying his laws. Praise his name forever” (Psalm 111:10 TLB).

Thanks to Beckham Wilson and Rita Smalley for the idea.

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Pep Talk

April 3, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 9 comments

We encourage with our actions. We also encourage when we listen. One of our greatest methods of encouragement is with our words. A pep talk works wonders.

When we land down in the dumps, we need a good pick-me-up.

A pep talk encourages or builds confidence.

We see this during sports events. Coaches gather their teams around them and rouse them to:

Get back in the game.
Do their best.
Never give up.
Win, win, win!

Cheerleaders lead fans to cheer their teams to victory. Schools or teams hold pep rallies to prepare for big games.

Pep talks occur in more than sports.

Parents encourage children.
Teachers inspire students.
Friends support one another.
Churches nurture members and the world around them.

Everyone needs encouragement.

Hard times come. That’s life. We can’t encourage everyone. That’s reality. Yet, we can urge those around us to keep on keeping on. That’s hope.

“Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13 NIV).

Thanks to Joyce Cordell for the suggestion and to Parker Davis for the photo.

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Drop Me a Line

March 20, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 14 comments

I love when people drop me a line. Don’t you? A card or note out of the blue lifts my spirits.

Those few words tell me:

I’m thinking about you.
I love you.
Wish I could be with you.
I hope you are okay.

When we ask someone to drop us a line, we want a letter or note.

Although not as common an expression as in the past, we still use it. We write in lines, so the expression relates to those lines of words.

Of course, we use social media and texts most often now. However, those contacts cannot take the place of letters or cards, labors of love to hold and treasure.

When we drop someone a line, we take time for them.

We let them know we are thinking about them. They are:

Important to us
Valued by us
Worthy of our time

Stay in touch with one another.

We have no guarantee of future time together. Make the most of every moment.

Visit.
Write.
Call, text, or use social media.

Let people know you love them.

Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (2 John 1:12 ESV).

Thanks to Michele Weisman with Walking on Mustard Seeds for the suggestion.

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Take Down a Peg or Two

March 13, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

Many of us have personal experience related to take down a peg or two.

My childhood friends and I knew the expression well. When we became too big for our britches, our parents put an end to our high and mighty behavior.

Their discipline took several forms:

The look of disapproval
Scolding
Time out
Loss of privileges
Other methods of loving but stern correction

To take down a peg or two means to deflate our pride or ego.

When we think too much of ourselves, we need a good dose of humility. No one is better than anyone else.

If we mistreat others, we may eventually get a taste of our own medicine. Our time for shame will probably come.

Wanting to do well is okay but not at the expense of others.

Hurting anyone in order to succeed spoils true success. Getting ahead never justifies:

Rudeness
Injury
A superior attitude

Take down a peg or two has a maritime connection.

According to The Free Dictionary, the expression “alludes to lowering a ship’s colors … by means of pegs. The higher the colors … the greater the honor.”

Refuse to become arrogant and self-centered.

Choose instead to straighten up and fly right. God, who is Love, calls us to love and help one another.

“Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves” (Hebrews 12:5-6 NIV).

Thanks to Tracy Crump for sharing this expression following her maritime museum tour.

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Make Up for Lost Time

March 6, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

Most of us have had to make up for lost time. We plan to complete tasks. Yet, other events interfere with those plans.

To make up for lost time means to spend time doing what we should have done earlier.

Because of our delay, we have to work quicker or longer to get the job done. For example, we:

Leave late and drive faster to arrive on time. (I don’t recommend this.)
Fail to complete a work assignment and have to work harder later.

We occasionally make up for lost time in our relationships.

After years apart or with little time together, we focus on one another.
When illness prevents favorite activities, we spend extra time on them after we heal.

Too often, we waste time.

That looks different for each of us. We dillydally when we:

Delay a task we don’t want to perform
Sleep late
Spend excess time on fun but useless activities

We also make up for lost time through no fault of our own.

We simply have more to do than we can do.

Emergencies occur.
We complete the work other people failed to do.
Unexpected requests or assignments arise.

God gives each of us twenty-four hours a day.

Will we:

Use it wisely?
Keep our priorities in order?
Do our best?

As John Wooden said, “If you don’t have time to do it right, when are you going to have the time to do it over?”

“I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands.” —Psalm 31:14-15

Thanks to Beckham Wilson for the suggestion and to Beverly Ennis for the photo.

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My husband and I love to travel. For years, we hopped in our car as often as possible to explore our country. However, we usually spent weeks planning the trip. We learned that well begun is half done.

We decided in advance:

How far we wanted to travel
What sights we wanted to see
How much time we had

We also allowed for short unplanned side trips off the beaten path.

Well begun is half done means if we begin well, we are more likely to end well.

Work begun well usually means:

Less work to complete
Increased chance for success

This holds true whether we want to:

Build a house
Write a book
Sell a product

If we have no idea what we need to do, we get nowhere.

We spin our wheels and accomplish nothing.

Well begun is half done also relates to our spiritual lives.

For the best life, we make the best plans. Will we focus on ourselves for our brief time on earth? Or will we choose a personal, eternal relationship with Jesus? If we follow Jesus, we receive:

Joy for our present journey in both good and bad times
Hope for a home in heaven

At the end of life’s road, nothing matters more.

“In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:19 NIV).

Thanks to Joy S. Taylor for the suggestion.

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Hand Over Fist

January 9, 2023 Diana Derringer Comments 0 Comment

When puppies have a tug of war, they use their mouths. However, people pull with their hands. Each team wants to pull the other over a line between them. Team members pull by alternating hand over fist.

Today, hand over fist usually means a quick and continuous action.

This applies whether:

Playing tug of war
Climbing a rope
Pulling something or someone with a rope

According to The Phrase Finder, an earlier version was hand over hand and meant “making steady progress.” Steady progress may be slower. However, it often results in more secure and lasting results.

This expression frequently refers to people who make money hand over fist.

Shrewd financial decisions increase their wealth. They may not grab money with their hands, but they do profit from business deals. Many times, their gain means someone else’s loss. They fight with no holds barred.

No decision or action should deliberately harm others.

The bottom line: If anyone suffers unnecessarily, the price is too high. Neither financial profit nor social gain are worth it. In a personal tug of war, let love for God and love for others pull every choice to the right side.

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10 NIV).

Thanks to Cindy Shoemaker for the suggestion. Images by Darby Browning and Stéphane CHADOURNE from Pixabay

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The Blind Leading the Blind

December 12, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

The blind leading the blind does not work.

I have two friends who are blind. Both possess amazing talents — musically, intellectually, spiritually, and socially. However, they can’t help one another, or anyone else, safely cross a street. That requires someone with sight.

Both have loving family and friends who assist them when needed. Both also have guide dogs specially trained to help them.

The blind leading the blind describes people unable to do a task who try to help others perform that same task.

They can’t do it. If they try, both end up in a right smart of trouble.

People need to know what they are doing in order to help someone else.

They must have:

Knowledge
Experience
Skills

For example:

Help with math requires an understanding of math.
Assistance with cooking requires the ability to cook.
Guiding a tour group requires knowledge of the area.

We find the blind leading the blind in the Bible.

Jesus used it in Luke 6:39 and Matthew 15:14. In Matthew, religious leaders rejected the truth. Jesus described them as the blind leading the blind.

To help others is a good thing. Yet, that requires:

A willingness to learn
The ability to assist

Learn and develop skills first.

Then offer help.

“Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” (Matthew 15:14 NIV).

Thanks to Brad Leverett for the suggestion and to Cole Torbert (and Louie) for the photo.

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Jump the Gun

November 21, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 6 comments

In the past, a gun fired as a signal to start many sports contests. Runners occasionally became so excited, they would jump the gun. They started running before their races began.

To jump the gun means to begin before the right time.

Like athletes, we occasionally jump the gun in life. We act too quickly.

Rather than wait until everything is ready, we start too soon. Our actions are not:

Appropriate
Wise
Approved

Patience is hard to practice.

Yet, we need it. Instead of getting in too big a hurry, we want to toe the mark. Better to follow the guidelines than ruin our chances of getting where we want to go.

When tempted to bypass the rules, let’s hold our horses.

Plan to go when it’s time to go but wait when it’s time to wait.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14 NIV).

Thanks to Melissa Bright for the suggestion. Image by Vlad Vasnetsov from Pixabay.

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